Results 7,101-7,120 of 27,613 for speaker:Heather Humphreys

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Welfare Services (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I agreed at Committee Stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2022 that I will lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas within six months of the passage of the Act. The Bill was passed on 15/12/22. Work on the report is progressing in line with that schedule. I trust this clarifies the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 – 2025 includes a commitment to develop and consult on a ‘strawman’ proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments to simplify the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the Make Work Pay report. The Strawman will also meet commitments under Pathways to Work to review the current long-term disability...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds was introduced in early 2021 in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to address the position of people who are 65 who are required to or who choose to retire at age 65 but who do not qualify for the State Pension until they reach age 66. The underlying statutory basis of this benefit is provided for under Jobseeker's Benefit. There are a number...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Indecon Cost of Disability report was prepared following an extensive consultation with disabled people and disability stakeholders. This included one of the largest disability surveys ever undertaken in the State. It was published in December 2021. The report identified that additional costs of disability run across a number of areas of expenditure including housing, equipment, aids and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Department of Social Protection provides income supports through a mixture of contributory payments (which are based on a person's social insurance record) and means-tested social assistance payments. The State Pension (Non-contributory) is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), or who...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April. The Fuel Allowance for the person concerned was awarded from 06 January 2023. They were notified in writing on 03 February 2023. I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 200 together. The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist long-term social welfare dependent householders and those aged 70 and over with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs; it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Means tests in my Department are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years. In particular, I have introduced a number of changes to means testing which provide for higher income disregards. I have committed to a carrying out broad review of means testing this year which will include a review of criteria across social protection allowances...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: As the Deputy will be aware, the Attorney General has recently reported on matters related to historical DPMA/DA litigation and I, and the Minister for Health, have been asked to review this report and revert to Government within three months. My review will include an examination of all available records to determine what cases may exist.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The table below shows the average number of recipients and the expenditure for disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind pension in January 2023. These figures are provisional. Estimated No of Recipients in January 2023 Expenditure in January 2023 # €m Disability Allowance 156,970 153.8...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April. The means limit in 2022 for the person concerned was €600.30 and their household means was calculated as €602.13. Regardless of the means limit set, there will always be individuals...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: To qualify for the State Pension (Contributory), a person must have entered the social insurance system before their 56th birthday and have a minimum of 520 paid contributions. If they have not reached this minimum requirement with Irish and British contributions combined, they will not qualify for a State Pension (Contributory) payment. The rate at which a person is paid can depend on a...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Bereavement Grant, which was a once-off payment for funeral costs, was discontinued in January 2014. The number of bereavement grant claims in 2013 was 23,716 at a cost of €20.3 million. It is estimated that the cost of reintroducing the grant would be close to €31 million per annum and would increase annually. Any decision to reinstate the grant would have to be...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: State Pension (Contributory) (SPC) is a social insurance based payment made to people at age 66. This is not a means-tested payment. The State Pension (Contributory) is based solely on a person’s record of contributions. A person can receive payment of State Pension (Contributory) and continue to work or have other income such as an occupational pension. The number of claims...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The targets for each scheme are agreed by Management Board in consultation with the relevant scheme areas. In setting the individual scheme targets consideration is taken of the complexity of the schemes...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The state pension contributory (SPC), qualification is based on a number of criteria, including that a minimum of 520 qualifying contributions have been paid into the Social Insurance Fund. This ensures that people who seek a contributory pension have made at least 10 years paid contributions into the Social Insurance Fund which finances it. For those who have paid the required...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may make Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources, and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment for employees with children which supports people in low paid employment. The WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there are a number of reasons why a decision which was refused at first instance might be successful on appeal and it...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (9 Feb 2023)

Heather Humphreys: Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16 and 17 if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. In 2022 the end of year total in receipt of Child Benefit was 648,053 claimants receiving payment in respect of 1.2 million...